Alessandro Bastoni

[King of the Lane]

Inter want Milenkovic now. That's weird....so Bremer is going somewhere else?

Doubt it. Bremer was due to be the De Vrij replacement and Milenkovic would most likely replace Skriniar if he goes.

They were linked to him in the past especially when we were after Skriniar.

 

[Serpico]

We never gave up 4th and looked what happened. Bastoni is there and the door maybe ajar. It may be a smoke screen for other dealings or we keep knocking and see what happens.

 

[Raitei]

It's the hope and all that

 

[andrewt]

It's the hope and all that

just when I thought I was out you pull me back in!

 

[Ron Burgundy]

We never gave up 4th and looked what happened. Bastoni is there and the door maybe ajar. It may be a smoke screen for other dealings or we keep knocking and see what happens.

Smoke screen klaxon!!!!

 

[TPdYID]

Useless the thread now. Move on.

It's a player thread, he hasn't died.

 

[Led Revolver]

Could someone post the article please?

 

[TheWook]

Could someone post the article please?

Spoiler: Article

Bastoni news won’t derail Spurs – they are willing to spend ‘Romero money’ on a new defender and have other options

It felt like the news that Tottenham fans had been dreading. Tullio Tinti, the agent of Alessandro Bastoni (and others at Inter), emerged from a meeting with the Inter Milan hierarchy on Wednesday and was surrounded by at least six young men filming him on their phones with a very clear message: his client would be staying at the club.

Asked whether he could reassure Inter fans who were anxious that the club’s exceptional young centre-back — a lifelong Inter fan himself — would be going to Tottenham, Tinti was happy to put their fears to rest. “Bastoni is definitely staying at Inter,” Tinti said. “He’s an Inter player. He’s happy to play for Inter.”

Bastoni — for people who care to analyse these things — appeared to endorse the message by posting blue and black heart emojis on Instagram soon after.

On the surface it all looks very open and shut. Tinti, one of Italy’s leading football agents, has a reputation as a straight talker. For Bastoni to leave Inter now, after this firm commitment, would be even more politically difficult than it would have been before. Maybe Fabio Paratici will have to admit defeat and turn his attentions elsewhere.

But there is an alternative reading of the situation. We are still only in early June and there is still plenty of time left in the window for the situation to change. The club seasons do not start again for another two months. And, hypothetically, if Bastoni did end up leaving Inter later this summer, then he would be able to point to this moment as a sign that he did not force his way out of the club.

Because while Inter’s public position is that they would not want to sell Bastoni, the real situation might not be quite so simple.

If Inter were to sell Bastoni, they could reasonably expect to get roughly €60 million for him. For a club who have had financial issues over the last few years, and who need to make another profit in this summer’s transfer market, that would be a lot of money to ignore.

(Remember last summer, for example, when there was lengthy speculation about Romelu Lukaku’s future; Lukaku insisted he did not want to leave, but it still ended with him joining Chelsea for €115 million or £97.5 million. Inter had to sell someone for big money and if it had not been Lukaku, they likely would have sold Lautaro Martinez instead, maybe even to Tottenham. But after selling Lukaku, Inter bought Edin Dzeko and Denzel Dumfries and still had a lot of money left over.)

The possibility of a similar scenario this summer should not be ruled out. Gleison Bremer is one of the most sought-after defenders in Italy after four good years at Torino. Inter want him this summer, and while they are in pole position to sign the Brazilian, they face competition from Milan and from Chelsea. But if Inter were to secure Bremer (for, let’s say, €30 million to €40 million) then they could sell Bastoni for double that and make a healthy profit.

The other option for Inter would be to sell Milan Skriniar, who at 27 is older than Bastoni, and who would lead to less outrage from the fans if he did go. By the same token, Skriniar would not bring in quite the same fee as Bastoni but he is himself a very highly rated player around Europe. Tottenham themselves came close to signing him two summers ago when Jose Mourinho was in charge and wanted an upgrade at centre-back.

So right now it feels as if the futures of Bastoni, Bremer and Skriniar are all connected, and there is plenty of time left for the situation to go off in different directions.

But even if Tottenham do miss out on Bastoni, that will not be the end of their pursuit of someone to play on the left of the three for next season. Paratici and Antonio Conte have been clear for some time that this was the main priority for the summer window, and they also know that the level of player they want for this role will not come cheap. (One established Premier League centre-back who is on the move this summer was recently floated to Tottenham as an option but they said no, because their priority was someone who can play on the left of a three.)

Last summer Paratici agreed a fee of €50 million (£42.5 million) with Atalanta for Cristian Romero, which has been a triumph, and there is an acceptance at the club that they would have to pay what could be described as ‘Romero money’ for a left-sided equivalent again this summer.

The top two targets at the end of the season were Bastoni and Josko Gvardiol of RB Leipzig, although Gvardiol is likely to be even more expensive than Bastoni. The Croatia international is so highly rated at Leipzig that it would likely cost far more than Bastoni — as much as €80 million — to sign him. Spurs were also very keen on Germany international Nico Schlotterbeck in the same role but he will be joining Borussia Dortmund instead this summer. (They have also been monitoring Sven Botman, who has less experience in a back three, and is currently being pursued by Milan and Newcastle United.)

Maybe Tottenham’s search will force them to look in a different direction. Spurs are big admirers of Marc Guehi at Crystal Palace but he has four years remaining on his deal, meaning that Palace have no incentive to even negotiate with Spurs. It would take a huge fee to get him out at this point. And finally there is Pau Torres at Villarreal. Spurs went for him last summer and he turned them down, so he has not been a priority this time but he still ticks all the boxes he did in 2021. And he might see Tottenham as a more attractive destination this year than they were last time around.

Tottenham will surely end up with one of these players, or someone very much like them. But we may all have to be patient. There is plenty of time left in this window, and things do not always end up in July and August how they initially appeared in early June.

 

[SpartanSpur]

I make Jack right. Until we sign another LCB or Inter sell one of Skriniar, Lautaro or Bastoni I don't think this is completely dead. I assume PSG's interest in Skriniar is now the preferred play for Inter but that may still not happen.

 

[piedpiper]

Theres no Marc Guehl thread and I see we linked to him via the Athletic.... I'd take him if we can't get Bastoni. Lower fee....will only improve.

 

[mark87]

Clickbait

 

[chas vs dave]

Theres no Marc Guehl thread and I see we linked to him via the Athletic.... I'd take him if we can't get Bastoni. Lower fee....will only improve.

I'm not sure it will be a lower fee.

 

[spursfan77]

It's the hope and all that

It's just his opinion though, not ITK. It is just like one of us saying similar on here.

 

[For the love of Spurs]

It's the hope and all that

valencia Yid did a thumbs up to this article.

‘’This??’’

 

[13VanDerBale13]

Hopefully this doesn’t drag on too long into the summer …

 

[Wick3d]

Personally not bothered now purely due to how Inter behave. Set them a deadline and just get on with it. I'd rather not deal with them again

 

[coy-spurs1882]

I would get Pau Torres now rather than dragging on with Inter for the whole summer

 

[Stoof]

I would get Pau Torres now rather than dragging on with Inter for the whole summer

I don't think "dragging on with Inter for the whole summer" is an option for us. So I think we'll drag it out for maybe a couple of weeks absolute tops - Conte is clear he wants everyone in by the end of the month.

 

[SpartanSpur]

I don't think "dragging on with Inter for the whole summer" is an option for us. So I think we'll drag it out for maybe a couple of weeks absolute tops - Conte is clear he wants everyone in by the end of the month.

I think this supposed financial deadline for Inter is 30th June also which works in our favour.

 

[Stoof]

I think this supposed financial deadline for Inter is 30th June also which works in our favour.

Let's see who blinks first. I heard a rumour that Fabio Imacookin Paratici hasn't blinked since 1986.